iFall For You All Over Again
by Shadower-Sam
Summary: Freddie and Carly are dating, until Sam got arrested for a crime she never committed. Now, Sam and Freddie are married to save her life. Will they continue to hate each other? Or will their feelings reignite? "Where will I sleep?" "Err," he hadn't thought of that. SEDDIE FTW
1. iHave Immunity

**WARNING: Slight Creddie in the first few chapters.**

**Plot outline: **Freddie earns a family immunity order after saving the president from an attack. But when Sam gets charged with a death sentence for something she did not do, will he marry her just so she could live?

"Congratulations, Freddie-bear!" mom gave me a huge hug. "You kids grow up so fast nowadays. One moment you're in your Galaxy Wars Pjs and the next moment you're out saving the world!" She started to tear.

"Thanks... mom," I tried to wiggle out of her tight embrace. "So, where's Carly?"

"She's with Spencer and that horrible delinquent," she shuddered at the thought of Sam.

I smiled. "I'll go join them."

"Okay, but remember, don't drink too much wine, dear," she says, taking the certificate and paper rose from my hands. "Drinking too much wine, will make you-"

"Will make you sweat like swines," I completed her rhyme for her. "I get it, mom. You should lay off the rhymes already. I'm already thirty."

"But you're still my little boy," she argued.

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, the little boy who saved the President by building a security system that could hack the databases of terrorists."

My mom didn't seem to hear that as she was still busy smiling at the pride of a son I am.

I was wondering how I could escape from her embarassment when an idea flashed across my mind. "Oh look! It's the organiser of the Aggressive Parenting Seminars!"

"Where?" mom spun around to try to catch a glimpse of her idol.

I took the chance to escape from the awkward situation. But as I fumbled and stumbled, I tumbled into someone. "Hey, watch it!"

"Sorry," I looked up to see the blonde-headed demon. Yep, the venom is still there. "Oh, it's you."

"Yeah, like bumping into you brightens up my day," she struggled to get up from the ground. "Congratulations anyway."

"Thanks," I smiled. "How's the police force going?"

She stared at the sky as if to think. "Good, I think. Our patrol has caught our first criminal. I'm sure you saw the news last night."

"Yeah," I replied.

"So, what do you plan to do with your new immunity order?" she asked.

"I don't know," I shrugged. "I mean, getting the order wasn't easy. It definitely gives us immunity from any trouble. But without a trace of Puckett blood, I doubt we'll get into any anyway."

She frowned. "Watch what you say, Benson. Don't think that saving the President makes you immune to my punches."

"Just kidding," I smirked. "No harm done. By the way, where's Carly?"

"It's only been a few hours and you're already looking for your girlfriend?" she teased. "She's at the punch table with Spencer."

"Thanks," I headed over to the table.

Sam shouted behind me. "Remember your ring, Fredwad!" She tossed the velvet box to me.

"Oh, I almost forgot. Thanks!" I caught it before it hit the ground.

There she was, the girl of my dreams. I couldn't believe it at first when she agreed to being my girlfriend years ago. And now, I'm going to ask her for her hand in marriage.

"Hey beautiful," I whispered in her ear, giving her a shock as I broke her focus.

"Hey hero!" she spun around and gave me a quick kiss on the lips. "Congratulations!"

I smiled. "Is that all I get for earning a immunity order?"

She gave me another kiss. "Is that enough?"

I shook my head, reaching into my pocket for the box.

"Here you go," she leaned for another kiss, but I stopped her with the box. "What's this?"

I got on to one knee. "Carly..."

She mouthed something to Spencer, which looked like "OMG, he's doing it."

"I, Freddie Benson, am asking you, Carly Shay, for your hand in marriage. Will you marry me?" I looked at her with pleading eyes, hoping she'll say yes.

People started to crowd around us, curious to know what the commotion was about. Gibby's face was drowned with tears of joy, Tasha huddled close to him. Spencer held his daughter Lucy's eyes close, Veronica tugging at his arm. Mom smiled in relief that her son had finally grown up. Unlike the others, Sam was nowhere to be found. Weird, I thought she would be the most eager to see the proposal.

"I don't know what to say," Carly blushed.

"Just say 'yes', Carly!" the crowd started to cheer.

Carly's hesitance was soon overcome by the crowd's constant pressing. "Yes."

I picked her up bridal style and spun her around. At that moment, I was sure I was the luckiest man alive. "When shall we get married then?"

"Actually, our wedding would have to wait," she said with a sorry expression.

I put her down. "Why?"

"Granddad's hospitalised again," she explained. "I'm gonna have to go take care of him. Spencer will be going with me."

"How long will it take?" I asked.

"I don't know..." she shrugged. "Maybe weeks, months..."

I groaned.

"Sorry," she apologized. "I'm really psyched about the wedding, really. But I have to take care of Granddad till he's better. My dad's still in the navy, so he can't-"

"I understand," I replied. "I just felt... left out. Why don't I go with you guys?"

"No," Spencer stated. "The last time we brought you to Yakima, your mom tagged along. It was the worst trip in our lives. Do you remember the time when-"

Carly shushed him. "I don't want to remember it!"

Spencer raised his hands in surrender.

"What about Veronica and Lucy?" I asked. "Are they going with you guys?"

"No," Carly replied. "Lucy is still quite young, we don't intend to bring her along for this."

"Okay," I smiled. "Remember to call me."

She laughed. "I will. Don't go off having an affair with another girl while I am gone, okay?"

"There's no other girl that I want besides you," I gave her a peck on the lips, laughing at her little teasing. "I better not catch you with another guy in Yakima either."

"You won't," she hugged me.

"Look at the lovebirds," Sam appeared from behind us. "Can't you guys just get a room or something?"

I frowned. "I thought you were used to this, Puckett?"

"Yeah, haven't you seen me puking up blood since Christmas?" she joked.

"If you're jealous, get yourself a boyfriend," I laughed.

"Very funny, Benson. Very funny," her smile fell into a low sarcastic murmur. "Where's Stephanie, by the way?"

Carly answered, "She's still in school. It's the morning after all, she wouldn't be able to attend this event with school on her schedule."

"True," she smiled. "I liked that kid. She was only one when she hated your face."

"Thanks, Sam," I frowned. "That was a very nice comment."

"Well, there's more where that came from," she grinned.

Carly broke into cold sweat. "Okay, let's not start another war here. Seriously guys, you've been fighting since you were ten."

"No harm continuing the tradition," Sam smiled.

Just then, my cell rang. "Hello?"

"Is this Mr. Fredward Benson speaking?"he asked.

"Yes, how can I help you?" I replied.

"I am calling from the Seattle Police Headquarters. Your cousin Stephanie, has been detained for possession of suspicious liquid," the voice said.

A higher-pitched voice emerged from the background. "It's hydrochloric acid!"

"Please come to our headquarters immediately. We would like to discuss with you about the punishment for the girl," he stated.

"Thank you, sir," I replied. "I'll be there as soon as possible."

"What's wrong?" Carly asked, face filled with worry.

I sighed. "Stephanie's in trouble again."

"Seems like Puckett blood isn't needed to make Fredward Benson use his new immunity order," Sam smirked.

"Wipe that smirk off your face, Puckett," I frowned, climbing into my car.

Stephanie's going to be fine. She's definitely not going to be the first Benson family member to use the immunity order. No, she's not.


	2. iSave Stephanie

"Stephanie?" I called. "What happened?"

"You must be Mr. Benson," the officer greeted me. "Your cousin here was caught in the possession of a highly suspicious liquid. After further tests, we have confirmed the liquid to be hydrochloryic acid."

"You didn't need to test it. I told you it was hydrochloryic acid," Stephanie stated, arms folded across her chest, leaning into the chair.

I frowned at her. "Can I bail her out?"

"No," the officer stated.

"Why not?" I asked.

"We've not only found her in possession of the liquid, she was about to use it against innocent people," the officer glanced at her, then turned his attention back at me. "That is a very serious offense and she can be jailed for it."

Stephanie protested. "But Sam did it before and she didn't get jailed."

I shushed her, trying to negotiate with the officer. "Can I please just bail her out? I promise that she wouldn't try something like this ever again."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Benson," the officer said sternly. "I'm afraid the only thing that can save her is a miracle."

I turned to Stephanie, who stubbornly sat there, unwilling to give in. "I believe a miracle is going to happen. Sir, I have been issued with a family immunity order by the president. I would like to use it now."

"Of course," the officer guided me through the headquarters. "Please sign here and here. Can I have the supporting documents stated as well?"

"Sure," I took out the documents, watching the people walk past as I anticipated the time when Stephanie would be out. I remembered visiting Sam in juvie, but it had been a long time since I visited this place. She had sworn never to step into the prison cells ever again then and has kept her promise ever since.

"The procedures are done," the officer declared. "Stephanie will be released immediately."

I smiled. "Thank you."

Stephanie still sat on the chair, back leaning against its frame. Her eyes darted towards us when the door swung open, but returned to stare at the area in front of her intently, as though her enemy sat across the table. "What now? Is he going to arrest me?"

"Miss Stephanie," the officer announced. "You are released from the station. However, we would not want to see you in here ever again."

"Neither do I," she mumbled as she followed me.

Many questions popped up in my head, but I chose to focus on only one of them. "What happened? Why were you in possession of such a dangerous chemical?"

"It might be a strong acid, but it's diluted," she walked alongside me.

"I know what it was," I retorted. "I asked you why you were holding on to something as dangerous as that. Who were you intending to use it on?"

"You know him as well," she stated.

My eyes tilted up to the skies, as if the answers were printed on the ceiling. "Frank?"

"Yup," she held back a laugh, which became obvious to me over time.

"Why are you always picking on him?" I asked. "He's just an-"

"He's just an innocent person, right?" she completed the sentence for me. "You've said that millions of times, Freddie."

I rolled my eyes. "If I said that so many times, why hasn't it got into your head yet?"

"Frank is not an innocent person," she stated. "He needs to see that there's more to the world than Galactic Battle. It's just a remake of Galaxy Wars."

"That's exactly what Sam said," I mumbled to myself. But I guess it was audible to Stephanie.

"Really? I guess we both think alike then," she said. "Speaking of which, didn't Sam get caught once for being in possession of a 'highly suspicious and dangerous' liquid? Why wasn't she jailed, but I was almost jailed?"

I shook my head. "Times have changed, Stephanie."

"You're really irksome, Freddie," she stated.

"What? Why?" I asked.

"You're just like a moral backbone for some awkward teenager," she frowned.

I laughed. "And you're the awkward teenager."

She punched me in the arm.

"Ow!" I grimaced at the pain.

"Sam sure taught me well," she grinned.

As we turned around the corner, a familiar face greeted me.

"Freddie Benson?" she smiled. "Hi! It's been a long time since I've seen you."

"Missy Robinson?" I laughed nervously, remembering the time when I sent her on the cruise. "Yes, it has. I'm surprised you actually recognize me."

"Well, iCarly hasn't ended quite long ago, so I can still remember your face pretty well," she laughed. "Sam hasn't changed. She's still quite aggressive, isn't she?"

I chuckled. "Yeah."

"No, she isn't," Stephanie spoke up for Sam. "She's the best friend anyone can ever have."

I glared at her, watching her smirk in triumph. "Do you still bear a grudge for her?"

"Not after all these years," Missy replied. "I've gotten over it. Besides, working at the police headquarters is the best job ever. I get to do justice and put criminals behind bars where they rightfully belong."

"Sam works as a policewoman as well," I said. "But she works at the Seattle station."

"Oh, I have a friend who works there too," she smiled.

Stephanie tugged at the sleeve of my shirt. "Freddie, we have to go. I have to complete my homework and it's already getting late."

"Sorry, I have to get Stephanie back home," I said. "I guess I'll see you around?"

"Sure," she replied. "Do send my regards to Sam and Carly!"

"You bet," I was pulled away by Stephanie.

She glared. "You do know that she was the one who almost replaced Sam as Carly's best friend, right?"

"Yeah," I stated. "So?"

"Why are you even talking to her?" she asked. "She's evil."

"She got over the incident years ago, kiddo," I rubbed her hand with my palm like what Spencer used to do to me. "Besides, since when did you start having an interest in homework?"

She shrugged. "I just thought spending my time on homework would be a better choice than with that whackjob."

"You're rubbing off Sam day after day," I laughed at their similarity. "If she were to see you, she'd be proud of her new 'creation'."

"By the way, if the school calls you, tell them I was sick," she walked ahead of me. "I wouldn't want Ms Briggs to send me to Ted's office for cutting school halfway. That old hag is a pain in the joints."

"Have you told your parents about this?" I asked.

She shook her head. "Why else would I call for you instead? They just needed a guardian above 18, so why bother getting them? They never cared when I caught that terrible flu anyway."

"You and I both know that they care a lot about you," I stated. "That's one thing you'll never compare with Sam about."

She folded her arms and frowned.

I looked at the calendar from my PearPhone, its holographic image twisted and turned as I flipped the phone sideways. Three days to Carly's departure. I was sure I was going to miss her; she may be gone for a very long time.

I was worried of what might happen to her in Yakima. What if she gets into some kind of trouble? As long as she's not yet a Benson, she is vulnerable to the laws. This is why I am determined that I will marry Carly Shay, to protect her for life.


	3. iFeel Insecure

**WARNING: Slight Creddie at the start. Don't worry, it is all going to change.**

"Bye Freddie," Carly hugged me tightly. "I'll miss you."

"Then call me," I smiled, returning the hug. "Come back soon, promise?"

"I'll return as soon as possible," she replied, before pulling out from the embrace. The sudden loss of her touch made me disappointed. I wished I could hold on to her forever. "Bye Sam, bye Stephanie."

Sam gave her a brief hug and Stephanie just waved.

"Take care of yourself," Sam instructed. "Oh, and don't ever touch the mushy stuff in the-"

"Don't... go...on..." Carly interrupted her. "Thanks for the reminder anyways. I definitely don't want to experience that again."

"What mushy stuff?" Stephanie asked, eyes wide in curiosity.

I smiled nervously. "You won't want to know..."

She nodded in understanding as she backed away.

"Well, it's about time," Spencer glanced at his watch after giving Veronica and Lucy kisses in the air. "Let's get into the RV."

He loaded the luggages and sat in the driver's seat. Carly went up the vehicle and sat on the front passenger seat, her head stuck out of the windows, waving towards us.

"Bye!" we waved vigorously as the vehicle trailed into the setting sun. If it weren't for my insecurity, I would have taken the scene in with much relief that she wasn't leaving for another man, but for her grandfather.

"Frankly speaking, I don't feel so good about her leaving. Somehow, I have a feeling that something bad is going to happen," I remarked.

Stephanie chuckled. "Hahaha... Frank." Sam laughed along.

The girls have been really sensitive to the word recently, like there's an inside joke between her and Sam.

"So, how's your little prank to Frank?" Sam asked.

"It was good, until the cops found me in possession of 'suspicious liquid'," she put air quotations around the words.

"You got arrested?" Sam almost shouted. "You know you're supposed to play safe!"

Stephanie pouted. "But you were the one who taught me how to play the prank."

"Yeah, but I thought you were smart enough to not get arrested," she stated. "It could have left a record! You know how difficult it's going to be for you to find a job with a record."

"Wow, that sounded weird coming from you, Ms. I've-been-to-juvie-a-million-times," I remarked.

"Watch out, dork," she frowned. "Now that Carly's gone, I have all the more reason to beat you up."

I backed away in fear. The demon could kill me.

"Sam, you're the best," Stephanie gleamed at her heroine.

"How is it that she sides with an outsider instead of her cousin?" I asked.

"Well, it all happened when she realised you were just another nub," Sam smirked. "Let's not trail off the topic here... Why are you still here if you're arrested?"

Stephanie's eyes trailed toward me as she nudged at my arms.

"I guess there's still some use for a dork after all," Sam joked.

"Don't ever underestimate my capabilties, Puckett," I grinned. "After all, I _did _save the President. If it weren't for my security suite, the-"

"The country would have been bombed by terrorists," Stephanie completed the sentence. "Man, you're becoming as naggy as Aunt Marissa."

Mom snapped her head toward us at the mention of her name. "Did someone call me?"

"No, mom," I smiled at her. "We were just talking about the time when Stephanie almost landed in juvie."

"Well, all I know is that it was definitely caused by that delinquent," she pointed at Sam.

"Come on, Mrs. B," Sam frowned. "Will you forget that already?"

Mom raised her hands as if she was wrongly accused. "How can I forget the dark ages when you almost married my son!"

"Mom..." I groaned.

"You guys almost got married? How come I never knew?" Stephanie beamed.

"That delinquent dated my son when they were still studying at that horrible school," Mom exclaimed. "Thank goodness that awkward teenager... What's his name... Jibble?"

I corrected. "It's Gibby."

"Yes, thank goodness he broke them up, or I would have suffered an anuerysm."

Sam rose her eyebrows. "Awkward teenager?"

"What happened, Aunt Marissa?" Stephanie asked, curious to know more. I cleared my throat forcefully, indicating my displeasure at her desire for information. But she just ignored my attempt with a "Shhh..."

I rolled my eyes. "I think it's about time we return home. I'm getting hungry."

"I brought some hammered fruit," Mom shuffled through her bag before tugging out a box of mushy apples. "Would you like some?"

The girls giggled at the sight. I knew it would amuse them.

"No, thanks Mom," I shook my head. "I just want to get back home."

"Sure," she smiled, hurrying us into the vehicle. "Come on, everyone. Do remember to put on your seatbelts! Seatbelts are fun, when it comes to-"

"MOM!" I disrupted her before she completed her rhyme. That's another thing to the list of 'Why Carly and Sam are my only friends'.

Sam almost boarded the vehicle before her phone gave out an abrupt ring. "Sorry, I have to take this."

We smiled in acknowledgement. Well, at least Stephanie and I did. Mom just shrugged with her why-do-I-even-care face, which she only showed to Sam.

As Sam spoke to the person on the receiving end, she looked as though she was talking to air. I silently chuckled to myself, but her serious expression was one which spelt trouble, morphing my chuckles into a nervous smile.

"Sorry, guys. I have to go," she frowned. "The cops have another mission for me. I guess I won't be able to join you guys for dinner."

"It's okay," I replied. "Just be careful on your trip."

Mom just rolled her eyes in impatience. "You should have told us you would not be boarding, we could have gotten home earlier."

"Well, I-" Sam was about to explain before I cut her off with a hand signal. Having understood my hand signal, she calmed down. "I'll join you guys for dinner next time."

"There's still a next time?" Mom exclaimed.

"Mom..." I groaned. "Shall we drive home now?"

She sighed after noticing my pleading eyes. "Alright."

"Bye Sam!" Stephanie giggled, seemingly amused by the events that have unfolded around her. She would probably be asking questions throughout the journey later, but I was just glad Sam wouldn't be around to feel the awkwardness in the air.

"Bye!" she waved back, backing away at a steady pace.

Unconsciously, I compared the scene of Sam leaving with Carly leaving. The sun had already set beyond the horizon by now, leaving streaks of pink in the blue sky, as if the clouds were blue ballerinas dancing gracefully with ribbons of pink. For some reason, both scenes gave me a sense of insecurity and uncertainty. What if things happened differently years ago?

"Hey, look," Stephanie pointed in the distance. "It's Missy."

"Yeah," I frowned.

"What's she doing here?" she asked.

My eyes were squeezed into a thin line as I tried to make sense of the blur and small image of what Missy Robinson was doing. But after realising that it was a large difficulty to see from just a large distance, I gave up.

I just hoped it was a coincidence.


	4. iWish She Was Here

**Warning: Slight Creddie at the start, and maybe some in the middle. But this is a Seddie story, so no worries :D**

**A/N: **Usually, I'll put my Author's Note at the bottom, but I guess this time, I have to clear something up. I've heard from some reviewers that they are not sure about the identity of Stephanie, so here goes: Stephanie was first featured in the iCarly episode, iPie. She was only a baby then, but now that time has flown by, she's already a teenager. Thanks to all those who tried to ask me about her identity, it really makes my day to know that there are people who actually read my stories :D Thanks!

I woke up in the morning by the annoying rings of the cellphone. It was only 4am in the morning.

"Hello?" an anxious voice rang through the phone. "Is this Freddie?"

I frowned at the unfamiliar voice, moving the phone away from my ear to glance at the identity of the caller. The number did not ring a bell at all.

"Hello?" the caller repeated. "Is anyone there?"

"Who is this?" I asked.

"I'm Melanie," she replied. "Sam's sister."

I raised my right eyebrow. "Sam doesn't have a sister."

"We met when we were still teenagers," she tried to convince me. "I even danced with you before."

"Melanie's real?" I did not realise that I just said that out loud.

"Of course," she sighed. "But we don't have time to argue about this anymore. Sam's been arrested."

Too many thoughts burst into my head at that instant. "What? Why?"

"We'll talk about this later," she said. "Just get over here to the police headquarters. Sam's being interrogated by Missy Robinson and things just don't look good."

"Okay," I pulled my striped jacket over my free arm. "I'll be there in a while."

Carly would not like to know what happened. She would be furious and worried at the same time and I could almost imagine her freaking out and shooting questions like a machine gun.

The moment I reached, I was shocked at the resemblence of Melanie and Sam. If not for the fact that Melanie wore a skirt, I would have thought Sam was pranking me again. "Good, you're here."

"What happened?" I asked, still rubbing my eyes from the surprise. "How did she-"

"Our father died," she interrupted. "And... they traced the clues to her."

"What? Why would she kill her father?" I frowned. "I thought he disappeared more than twenty years ago?"

She sighed. "Apparently, Sam managed to track him down."

I stared at the door that separated Sam and us. "Oh, she's a... cop..."

"Yeah," Melanie held a sorry expression on her face. "I shouldn't have visited him."

"What has you visiting him got to do with the case?" I asked. "You shouldn't blame yourself for something you can't control."

"But..." she wanted to say something, but she hesitated.

Then, the door creaked open, revealing an uptight Puckett. Before we knew it, the door was closed shut again by the hands of none other than... Missy Robinson.

"Hi Freddie," Missy smiled. "I see that you've been informed by Miss Puckett here."

"Can we speak to Sam for a minute?" I asked.

It was deja vu. My mind drifted off to the time when Sam checked herself into a mental hospital. Carly and I were trying to visit her, but we had to get Gibby to occupy the nurse before we could hold the search. But now, Sam didn't check herself into a police station. She was brought here.

"Sure," Missy said, different from what I had imagined. "But only for a minute. We'll have to get the documents ready for the arrest. You're lucky I'm the one interrogating Sam, if it's another officer, you probably won't even be able to catch a glimpse of Sam.

"Thanks," I smiled, gratitude melting my heart.

I pulled Melanie into the interrogation room, where the cameras were already shut off, from what I could see.

"What's going on, Sam?"

She glanced at Melanie, hesitating. Then, her eyes drifted to the cameras, as if she was afraid someone was spying on us.

"Speak, Puckett," I commanded in my deep voice. It always worked in serious situations.

"I killed my dad, okay?" she phrased it more like a question than an answer.

"How?" I asked.

She frowned. "What, now that Missy is done interrogating me, you're going to start shooting questions? What's a girl gotta do to get some peace in here?"

Melanie sobbed. "I'm so sorry, Sam..."

"Mel, it's fine," she smiled tenderly. "Everything is going to be okay."

"But..." Melanie's voice trailed to a soft stop. "It's all my fault. I shouldn't have-"

"Shhh..." Sam interrupted her. "If you want to talk about this, we'll talk in a safer place."

I frowned. "What are you guys talking about?"

"I was..." Melanie tried to say something, but stopped when she caught the gaze of Sam's disapproval.

"We'll tell him when the time comes," Sam explained. "As for now, don't try to save me. It's what mom had wanted."

Melanie sobbed louder as tears poured over my shoulder. Her cries have entirely distinguished her from Sam.

"Samantha Puckett," Missy Robinson entered the room with two other cops. "You are under arrest for the murder of Jeremy Puckett. If all goes well during the trial, you might only be fined. But if things go badly..."

"I know," she sighed. "I'll be put to death."

"To death?" my eyes widened in desperation. I couldn't just stand here and let her die! What if Carly comes back and asks me about it? What do I tell her? That Sam killed her father and has been put to death?

If you thought Melanie's cries could not get any louder, you have thought wrong.

"Miss Puckett," Missy continued. "I would suggest you get a good lawyer, it will help."

If only Carly was here. She would know what to do.

**A/N: Just to end off, I have a question for you guys. Do you know of anyone in real life who share a SEDDIE relationship? I'm doing a research project and the topic is on Love-Hate relationships (lucky me, right?) so I would need a lot of help from you guys. Do send me a personal message or review this chapter and let me know your/your friends' stories. It would be great if you guys could let me know :)**


	5. iAm Guilty

"I was the one who killed my dad," Melanie confessed. "Sam had nothing to do with it. I only called her after I realised he was dead."

I remained silent, still unsure of how to take this news. First, Stephanie was arrested, then Sam's arrested and now Melanie's telling me that she wants to be arrested?

"You have to believe me, Freddie," she tugged on my arm. "Sam's innocent. She's taking the blame for me. She had nothing to do with this."

"It's not that I don't believe you, Melanie," I pushed her arm away. "Actually, I really don't believe you. Sam's always been the violent and aggressive one between the both of you. If you're the one who's in jail and she's the one telling me that you were her scapegoat, I might actually believe you. But you killing someone? That's ridiculous."

"It's true, Freddie," she pleaded. "I'm speaking the truth. Sam's just trying to protect me."

I chuckled. "From what?"

"Remember when my mom died?" she explained.

"Wasn't she sentenced to-" I pointed my finger at the air to clarify.

She nodded vigorously, asking me not to continue. I knew what she was driving at. It was a terrible experience to Sam. Imagine having to put a criminal to death and having your mother as your first 'guinea pig'. If I were her, I would have fainted on the spot, but that's just me.

"So?" I couldn't find a link between this and the fact that Sam had to protect Melanie.

Her right hand clutched her purse, while her left was pressed tightly against her chest as if she was in pain. Just as she was about to speak, my phone rang. The name 'Carly' appeared on my Pearphone's screen, blinking and pressing for me to answer.

"Hello?" I tapped the receive button, putting my palm out towards Melanie as though I were playing charades. Thank goodness she understood that I needed to speak to Carly alone.

"Freddie?" she called. "How's everything going?"

I made sure I was in a quiet place before I answered. The waiting room was definitely not the place in mind, so I made my way out to an empty hallway, where no prison guards loomed. "Oh, everything's super."

She sensed the abnormalty in my tone. "Is there something wrong?"

"No, of course not!" I laughed nervously. "Why would there be? Stephanie has been really obedient recently."

"I did not mention anything about Stephanie..." she trailed off.

"Well, I thought you might want to know about her," I came up with some lame excuse. It's not up to Sam's standards yet, but at least those lying lessons from her have paid off.

Carly seemed to relax a little. "Oh, okay. How's Sam?"

"Sam? Yeah, she's fine," I forced a smile on my face even though I knew she couldn't see it. "Nothing's wrong. It's not like she's been arrested or something, right?"

"Err... sure..." Carly said, unsure of the situation.

"Mr Benson? Ms Puckett will see you now," the officer came over.

I could practically feel Carly frowning on the other line. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," I exclaimed. "I'll be off now."

"Freddie, wait!" Carly screamed. "Fredd-"

I hung up immediately before the officer could make an announcement that would give Carly a heart attack.

"Mr Benson?" the officer called. "Please follow me."

I fumbled the phone into my pocket before proceeding to the 'special room'. Sam was seated there with the word 'glum' written all over her face. Her hair no longer curled together, but was entangled between strands on her head. She looked as torn as a piece of wet kitchen roll, only that her tongue was still as dry and vicious as usual.

"What do you want, Fredwad?" she glared as she spoke through the phone.

"I know what actually happened, Sam," I remembered what Melanie told me. Sam was innocent. "Why are you taking the rap for Melanie? She was the one who killed your father, not you."

"What are you talking about?" she sat upright, trying to hush me.

I frowned. "Melanie told me everything. Why do you insist on being arrested?"

She shot me a death glare before examining her surroundings. Her eyes floated around the officers behind me, who were busy chatting away. Then, back to me. "Why do you even care? The sentence has been given already. I've lost the trial, I'm a dying woman!"

"There's still a chance that you can live through this," I tried to convince her while the guards were still busy in their conversation. "Melanie has the intention of surrendering herself to the cops, all you need to do is to speak to her and you'll be free-"

"And sacrifice my sister's life?" she almost shouted into the phone. "We may not share a close relationship, but at least I know how to keep a promise!"

"What promise?" I raised my eyebrows in confusion. Could this be the reason why she was so insistant on staying in prison?

She hesitated, unsure of whether to answer my question or shrug it off completely like she always had. But with the way things were, it was almost impossible for her to shrug off my question. "Remember when I told you that my mom made me promise her something before she died?"

I waited for her to continue.

"She made me promise to protect Melanie," she explained.

"But how can you protect Melanie when you're gone?" I asked, raising my voice. The officers spun around and had their eyes on me, observing the both of us. I tried to lower the volume. "Listen to me, this isn't your fault. Melanie was the one who did it and she should be the one to take responsibility for this. Not you."

She was still hesitant.

"Melanie has had a good record for her entire life, I don't think the judge would give her a heavy sentence. She would be fine," I tried to convince her.

"Fine," she sighed. "But if Melanie is given a heavy sentence, I'll tell the judge that you forced her to be my scapegoat. Then you and I _both_ will be dead, you understand?"

I gulped.

"Time's up, Ms Puckett," the officer exclaimed.

"Come on, we knew each other for years," Sam stood up to face the officer. "Just call me Sam, kay?"

"Things are different now," he replied. "You're a criminal. We have to address you differently. You should know that it's standard prison procedure."

Sam forced a smile through her lips. "It's okay, Bill. I understand." She entered the dark hallway where the other criminals had their hands reached out like demons, waiting for the guards to drag them out of hell.

"We'll get you out of there, this plan will definitely work!" I cried out, hoping my voice could penetrate the glass walls and reach the end of the road to Sam.

She turned around, sending me a smirk, mouthing the words 'we'll see'.

**A/N: Hey guys, I won't update so often till mid-October (I think I mentioned this sometime ago... I'm not sure) since I have my semester tests. Don't worry, I will continue this right after my tests :D I have no thoughts about abandoning this at all :D **

**I would also like to thank the Seddie shippers who took the time to PM me and review with a reply to my question. Thanks! (I haven't gotten back my report yet, but I'll let you guys know my grade once I get it back!) **

**Also, the main plot should start in the next chapter. So, do look out for it! See you guys soon!**


	6. iGave You Roses

"Who am I kidding? Sam's never going to get out of there!" I yelled at the open air dramatically.

"I'm sorry," Melanie apologised.

"It's not your fault," I sighed. "I mean, we can't blame you for your straight As and excellent records in school. Even I wouldn't believe you it if a perfect girl like you would murder her own father."

She gave that puppy-eyed look and cried, "It wasn't on purpose!"

"Of course, of course," I tried to calm her down before the entire Seattle floods. This girl beside me was nothing like Sam. She could drown the world if she felt guilty. As for Sam, well, that girl never admits anything. Frankly speaking, I was starting to get tired of the constant wailing.

Just then, a soft lullaby-like ringtone sweetened the air with the tinkling melody. Melanie reached for her purse that fell over her petite shoulders.

"Hey Darling," she wiped her tears away with a moist wipe which she drew out from one of those buttoned pockets on the little carrier. "Oh, thank goodness you reminded me, dear."

Her thoughts seemed to have lingered to something else when she stopped crying. Her breathing returned to normal and her face was flushed with embarassment almost immediately. Mood swings.

"Sorry, Freddie, I won't be able to join you," she apologised. "I forgot that I had a very important appointment with the gynaecologist that I can't miss."

"Gynaecologist?" my eyebrows raised in amazement. "You're..."

"Is it obvious? I thought I'll start getting the bump when he's twelve weeks..." she started caressing her tummy.

My eyes were opened wide. "How? You're married?"

"Of course," she smiled. "Pete and I got married last summer. Didn't Sam tell you that?"

I searched my database for traces of that memory. Then, I realised that I had always taken her claims of Melanie's existence as jokes. That would explain everything.

"Anyways, I have to go now," she placed her phone back into her purse and swung it around her shoulder. "Pete's waiting for me."

I waved as she hopped into the distance. I made a mental list in my mind the things that seemed wrong with her – mood swings, very emotional, had to be protected by Sam... Why couldn't I see that she was pregnant? Freddie Benson, you're oblivious to everything.

As I strolled down the walkway that was sheltered from the sun, I wondered how else we could save Sam. Since placing Melanie in prison wasn't an option, considering she's pregnant and the judge refused to believe her claims, I had to think of another one. There has to be a way to get Sam out of prison without getting her replaced behind those steel bars, if only I could think of something.

"Roses for sale!" a Sunshine Girl had a beautifully woven basket hung from her arms as she called out. If I hadn't seen the words on the pink paper stuck to the basket, I would have forgotten it was Valentine's Day. "Hello, sir. Would you like to buy a rose for your girlfriend?"

"Oh, my girlfriend's overseas," I tried to explain.

The girl's eyes watered as she pleaded. "Please, kind sir. I have to get these sold out by noon or I won't be given my lunch."

"I would really love to buy your roses, but my girlfriend's not with me," I apologised.

And so, she started to cry.

The ladies around me shot glares at me and some even pointed fingers. What did I do? "Okay, okay. I'll buy your roses. Just, don't cry, alright?"

I pulled out my wallet, rummaging through the many receipts and bills, finally fishing out a fifty.

"How much is one?" I asked, noticing that the pink paper didn't have the price written on it.

"Thank you," she took the fifty, ran away and left me with the basket.

"Hey!" I yelled after her, about to chase her, but my slow reaction gave her enough time to disappear into the bustling streets. Oh chizz, that was the only note in my wallet. Now, I've got to wait till the end of the week before I could get my allowance. Yes, my mom still gives me allowance.

I scanned my surroundings for any couples that might be interested to relief me of the load of roses. But there were only individuals on this busy street, except...

"Hey, would you guys like to have these roses for free?" I asked a couple who had their arms hooked around each other's.

"Oh, sorry," the lady explained. "My husband here is allergic to roses."

The tall man beside her sneezed heavily, even when my basket was only two feet away from him. "It's true."

"It's alright," I smiled forcefully. "Thanks."

"Why not give them to your girlfriend?" she asked. "It's Valentine's Day. Besides, roses are really romantic. She'll definitely marry you."

"Marry me?" an idea popped into my head. "Why didn't I think of that? But what if she doesn't want to marry me? I mean, we've been at each other's necks since forever."

The lady grinned. "She'll marry you. I mean, this decision is huge. It concerns the rest of her life. It's like a life and death situation."

"It is a life and death situation," I stared blankly as thoughts ran through my mind. "I'll ask her later."

The lady smiled. "I'm glad you thought this through. I wish the both of you eternal happiness."

I snapped out of my thoughts. "Eternal happiness?"

"Good luck, kid," the tall man smiled, nose red from the allergy.

Eternal. A marriage is eternal. It goes on forever and bands two people together. But I don't want to be banded together with Sam! Carly is my girlfriend. I can't betray her and marry someone else! But Sam's stuck in that prison, sacrificing herself for her sister and her future nephew or niece. She's my best friend. Carly would hate me if I let her die even when I could have done something.

Marriage is forever. Should I make this sacrifice?

"Hey, Sam," I smiled nervously.

"I told you the judges won't believe Melanie," she laid back in her chair. Ever since the last verdict, we've been granted the permission to see her in a different room. This one had no glass panes or phones or anything that could separate the average citizens and the criminals, not that Sam was one of either anyway. "What's up with the basket of roses?"

"It's Valentine's Day," I pulled the basket closer to me, afraid of her reaction to what I might say next.

She smiled. "Is Carly already back? Where is she? Why isn't she here?"

"Carly's not back yet, she's still in Yakima," I replied.

"Then, what are the roses for? Aww... the little tech-nerd is missing his fiancee on Valentine's. How sweet..." she mocked.

"The roses aren't for Carly," my heart was beating really fast as I drew out the velvet box from my pockets. "Sam, will you marry me?"

She folded her arms and glared. "Have you gotten your calendar mixed up, Benson? Valentine's is on the fourteenth of February, not first of April. You could've fooled me if the prison TV wasn't working."

"I'm serious, Sam," I tried to keep myself from puking.

"I will never marry you, Benson," she said. "Not in a million years."

"But you don't have a choice."

She frowned. "Of course I do. We're Americans. We have our marriage rights... or whatever you call them."

"Sam, this is the only way to get you out of here," I explained. "What, do you think I actually wanted to have a wife like you?"

Okay, that was a bit harsh of me. But when you want your words to get to Sam Puckett, you really have to use strong words like these.

"Talk, Benson," she sat upright. "I'm listening."

It worked. "Remember the time I saved the president?"

"With your dorky security system?" she smirked.

"That security system has sold at least six million copies worldwide!" I defended my creation. "Anyway, the president awarded me with an immunity."

"So?"

I sighed. "It gives my relatives immunity from the law."

"Wait, let me get this straight," she frowned. "If I marry you, and become your little wife, I will be able to get out of here and do whatever illegal activities I want for the rest of my life without getting arrested?"

"Technically, yes," I nodded. "So, will you marry me?"

"No."

My face contorted with confusion. "Why?"

"Because I don't want to be banded with a dork in marriage for the rest of my life!" she stated, leaning back into her chair.

"Relax," my facial features returned to normal. "Once you're out of here, we can get divorced immediately. You will be free as a bird."

"Sounds good. But what about Carly?" she asked.

I smiled. "She wouldn't know a thing."

"Okay," she agreed. "But once we're... married... you'll have to promise me three things."

"What three things?" I listened.

"One, no touching me," she stated.

I smirked. "Done."

"Two, no telling other people about our 'relationship'," she listed, counting her fingers as she spoke.

"I don't want anyone else to know about this either," I smiled.

She stopped. "Good."

"What's number three?" I asked.

"I'll let you know when I think of it," she let out a laugh. "Thanks, Benson."

"Don't mention it," I stood up, leaving the basket of roses on the table.

She stood up as well, but to stop me. "Hey, your roses."

"Nah, they're yours now," I was relieved that I wouldn't have to hold on to those roses. The thorns had pricked at my arm while I was making my way there. "Happy Valentine's Day."

**A/N: Hey guys, this is definitely the last chapter I'm posting until mid-October (chizz... I'm not very good at resisting temptations...) Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy this. Please read and review! It's my motivation :D**


	7. iGet Married

"I still can't believe we've gotten this far without them suspecting a thing," Sam remarked, tugging at the laces on her gown.

"And I can't believe we've gotten this far without you complaining about the wedding," I smirked.

"Unlike you, I have a high endurance level when I'm trying to get this show over and done with," she said. "Besides, the food was all that mattered in a weddi- Ouch!"

Melanie's face contorted with apology. "I'm sorry!"

Sam sighed. "This better be worth it."

"In just a few days' time, you'll be as free as a bird. And Carly wouldn't even know a thing," I grinned. Carly called last night and told me that she and Spencer wouldn't be back until three months later. She wouldn't even notice anything when she comes back.

"Ouch!" Sam yelped again. "Melanie, you've got to be more careful!"

"Sorry, I was just... a little distracted," the twin sister replied.

Sam let out a laugh. "A little? This is the eighth time you've poked me with that needle. How long is it going to take before you get that dress done?"

"And... here. All done," Melanie stepped back with pride. "See? I told you I could alter dresses."

"If only this wedding didn't have to be held so early," Sam caressed her pricked back. "Then I wouldn't have to be tortured with these dress alterations."

I smiled at the dress which seemed to fit Sam's figure so perfectly when there were fabric sticking out from the hips and arms just twenty minutes ago. "It was tailor-made for Carly. I didn't have enough time to buy another one for you and I didn't have your measurements so..."

"Oh, and you just happened to know Carly's measurements and tailor-made this for her without her knowledge? This dork needs some brain-washing from all the dirty things he's been thinking about his girlfriend," Sam laughed.

Melanie smiled. "Come on, Sam. I think it's really sweet that Freddie had all these prepared for Carly while she was away. It would be a great surprise for her once she returns."

"Hey, Freddie? It's about time," Gibby entered the room in his tuxedo. "Oh, hi Sam. Hi Melanie."

"Hey Gibs," Sam gave a short wave.

"I'll leave you two alone for a while before the wedding," Melanie smiled as though me and Sam were really getting bonded by matrimony.

I stopped her. "Wait! When do I go out?"

Sam let out a laugh. "You're the one who planned this wedding and you don't even know what to do?"

I shot a glare at her, which she returned with a hidden dagger behind it. I turned back to face Melanie.

"You'll know when it's time," she winked at the both of us before exiting the room with Gibby.

Somehow, the moment Gibby and Melanie left, the atmosphere turned a little... well... nervous. We were sitting in silence, distanced from each other as though we were strangers. Suddenly, our constant bickering seemed to be just a show for an audience. And backstage, our story was different.

"So..." I tried to break the silence. "You look... nice..."

Her eyes floated around the room, occasionally meeting mine, but only to dart away at the instant of contact. "Err... thanks. You... look nice too..."

Our defences were broken down, and I no longer felt the fear of getting beaten up by her if I said something wrong anymore. It might have been the fact that she was in a dress and beating the crabs out of me would be a difficult move to pull off, or it could have been the silence in the room that was driving us mad.

At that moment, everything seemed real. I could imagine her walking down the aisle towards me, arm hooked around mine. And that simple expression of pure bliss that was radiated throughout the chapel. But those were never going to happen, because I didn't love her. I loved Carly and I was going to marry Carly. I would never see the look of bliss on Sam's face as she walks down the red carpet, or that beautiful bouquet that would be thrown at the bridesmaids with glee, or the way she would save me some embarassment by trying hard not to wolf down her food. She could have been a princess. But she was not my princess.

She was not mine.

The church bells rang and I knew it was my cue to go. It seemed to be summoning me from the silence of the room and bringing me out to another room of silence. But that room was filled with anticipation and joy. The brightly lit hall was full of people, something Sam would have hated. I had convinced her two days ago that we had to invite the cops and our family before they suspect a thing. My mom was unwilling to marry me off to "a beast", as quoted from her, but was soon persuaded by Melanie's sweet-talking. Girl-talk never seemed to appeal to me, so I had not bothered to ask about their discussion.

Mom was casting an unsure smile towards me as I approached Gibby. He was my 'best man', since Brad was at a fudge-making competition and Spencer was in Yakima with Carly. Besides, the lesser the number of people who knew about this, the better. Actually, the church was only half-filled with guests. We had only invited Sam and my families, as well as a few cops here and there, so that I wouldn't break the rules that Sam had set before she agreed to the proposal.

As the wedding march was played, the doors were open wide and light flooded into the church, filling the red carpet with warmth and elegance. However, all these soon changed the moment Sam's silhouette emerged from the blanket of light.

Her right hand held her flower bouquet, while her left hand was filled with hotdogs which could have lasted the entire America for days. Tomato sauce stuck on the corner of her lips like slime, making her seem more like a hungry vampire than a bride. Melanie smiled nervously as she desperately tried to remove the hotdogs from her twin sister's hand and smoothing out the gown. The guests cringed with disgust as Sam stuffed her mouth with the rest of the hotdogs she held in her hand before finally proceeding towards me.

"Well, here comes the bride..." Gibby remarked, amused at her lack of finesse.

My heart raced as the priest started with his speech about how lucky we were to have met each other. But my mind was somewhere between how Carly might react if she found out and what could have happened if Sam and I never broke up in high school.

"Will you, Fredward Benson, take Sam Puckett to be your wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better..." my mind drifted off as the priest read the vows. I could not bear to listen to the speech anymore. If I said 'I do', I would be lying to the world and to myself. But if I hesitated, the cops seated at the benches would arrest the girl that stood beside me and Carly would never forgive me for killing her best friend. "... and honor her for all the days of your life?"

"I (cough) do," I forced it out of my throat.

"And will you, Sam Puckett, take Fredward Benson to be your husband, to have and to hold..." the priest continued. The scene was so familiar, with our dearest friends and relatives sitting on the benches and the priest reading as slow as a snail, with much emphasis on every single word. But Sam was wide awake, her eyebrows locked in a tight knot as her eyes fixed on the stained glass window in front of us.

"For eternity", it wrote. The sunlight shone right through them and into the chapel, scattering colored fragments of light across the chapel floor.

"... and to honor him for all the days of your life?" the priest asked.

Sam was spacing out.

"Ms Puckett?" the priest called.

Something was amiss. I've never seen Sam so... out of it before. "Sam, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." She snapped back to reality with a shake of the head. "Oh, yeah... Err... I do."

"I now pronounce you husband and wife," the priest announced as the guests stood up to clap and cheer. "You may now kiss the bride."

"Kiss the bride?" Sam and I exclaimed simultaneously.

The applause from the audience died down while Sam and I exchanged awkward glances. We definitely did not plan for anything like this to happen.

_One, no touching me_, Sam's rules rang in my head. _Two, no telling other people about our 'relationship'._

I had already broken rule number two, judging by the face that Sam made yesterday when I told her I had invited the entire police department to the wedding. But if I break rule one, I would be in hot soup.

I peered behind Sam's shoulders to see Melanie glancing at us worriedly, her lips mouthing words that could either mean "Cheese cake, sir" or "Just kiss her". I went with the second option.

Within seconds, our lips collided. Cameras were flashing with rage and Sam just stood there, motionless. I couldn't tell whether she was motionless from shock or from anger since my eyes were shut tight, but I knew that my head was spinning from the contact. It felt like I was in a different world, like what I was doing was wrong, but yet so right.

I couldn't hear anything from around me anymore. Everything was silent, except for that thumping heartbeat that seemed to pound louder as our chests pressed against each other. For that split second, our hearts seemed to beat as one. I felt like an inflated balloon, soaring through the sky. However, this balloon burst when I thought of none other than...

Carly.

I broke away, feeling guilty for betraying my girlfriend. As fast as the feelings came, they were gone. The guests cheered with excitement as they slowly diffused out of the church, murmuring to each other.

"I'm sorry," I apologised to the still-stunned bride. "I shouldn't have done that, but I just had to do something and I couldn't think of anything else to-"

A stinging pain rippled through my cheeks.

"Ouch," I caressed my cheek with my palm, trying to relief myself from the slap which Sam just served me.

"Never touch momma again!" and with that, she went outside to join the rest of the guests.

"Looks like your bride isn't very happy about the kiss," a sharp voice with a familiar accent rang from behind.

I spun around. "Missy?"

"Congratulations, Freddie," she smiled as she pulled out her hand.

I shook it. "Thanks, Missy."

"It seems that you still need some work with your wife there," she smirked. "Happy marriage."

She approached the doors with her purse. "Wait, where are you going?"

"I have to go now," she stated. "I have something on later."

"Oh," I smiled. "Thanks for coming."

"My pleasure," she returned the smile, before leaving. Her phone rang as her foot landed on the first step of the staircase. "Hello..."

I was curious to hear the conversation that unfolded between her and the person on the other line, but unfortunately, she was capable of speaking at inaudible levels. The noise from the crowd of bridesmaids that lined up outside the church waiting to catch the bouquet of flowers added to the noise which masked her voice.

I decided to give up on the ear-straining activity and returned to my busy schedule for the day. From now on, things are going to get pretty crazy...

**A/N: Hey guys, I know it's been kind of long since I've posted a new chapter, but here's a long chapter to make up for it! Anyways, I really hope that you guys will be able to do me a favour. Please click this link: **

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	8. iWish We Were Closer

"Welcome to your new home," I opened the door to my apartment. "How do you like it?"

"I have to stay in your house?" Sam asked, putting down the boxes she was carrying. "I've got my own house, why should I stay in your dorky little hide-out? Where's your crazy mom?"

"Firstly, this is not a dorky hide-out," I corrected her. "I bought this house for me and Carly. You know, after we get married."

She raised an eyebrow, which I assumed was a failed attempt at a look of disgust.

"Secondly, my mom's not living here," I continued. "She's staying at our old apartment in Bushwell Plaza."

"I thought you were all about filial piety. Why did you leave your mom all alone at Bushwell?"

"T-Bo's still living there, remember? So, technically, she's not all alone," I explained. "And I figured that I would need some... 'alone-time' with Carly after marriage, so I convinced her to..."

She cringed at the words 'alone-time'. "I don't want to know. So, why do I have to live here, again?"

"Because," I emphasized, imitating her tone. "You're my 'pretend-wife' now. You'll have to live here until the cops are truly convinced that we weren't married so I could save your life."

"But I thought you said that I'll be free after a few days," she frowned. "What's going on?"

I laughed nervously. "Nothing!"

She glared.

"Okay, I was lying when I said nothing," I confessed. "Apparently, there have been some lines written in fine print that came with the certificate."

"So?" she asked.

"It says that getting caught for abusing the power of the certificate would result in death. For the both of us. And, until you're proven innocent, if you're divorced from me, you still face the death penalty. But I have a plan."

She folded her arms. "Okay, 'pretend-husband', what's your plan?"

"We will do some undercover investigation about your father's murder while we're still married. And hopefully, we can do this fast so that when Carly returns, everything will be back to-"

"Back to normal..." she finished my sentence for me. "I get it, Fredwhiney-face. But how do we investigate this? I'm no longer a cop and our moves will be constantly watched until this whole marriage thing dies down."

"Don't forget, your husband here is a great computer engineer," I grinned.

She corrected. "You mean 'pretend-husband'."

"Yeah," I smiled. "Anyway, I'll be able to get past the police security system and download the police files at home. You and Melanie can try to revisit the murder scene and gather some clues."

"But the scene has probably been examined thoroughly, if there were any clues or anything, wouldn't the police have found out about it already?" she asked.

"I thought your department was understaffed in terms of professionals?" I returned. She gestured for me to continue. "You told me just a few months ago that the police just underwent a mass recruitment, such that the entire department was mostly made up of interns and trainees now. Since there's not enough professionals and you've been fired..."

She got the hint. "The trainees and interns wouldn't be able to find everything there."

"I guess great minds think alike," I grinned.

"But now to think of it, the mass recruitment was ordered by our superior," she had her fingers caressing her chin. "In other words, it was organised by Missy."

"What's wrong with that?" I asked, puzzled by her random comment.

She smirked. "Nothing, I just thought it was puzzling that such a stupid request was approved. Our department's efficiency was cut in half and the work to be done increased instead of reduced. I'm smelling something fishy here."

"Are you sure it's not just the tuna fish sandwich in that box? I'm pretty sure that sandwich had mould growing on it," I remarked, pinching my nose and waving the air around me.

"Anyway, since you're going to hack into the police security system-"

"You mean, 'find a way into it'?" I corrected. "You're making it sound like we're doing something illegal here."

She frowned. "That's because we are doing something illegal!"

"Okay, okay, sheesh, I've never seen you get so nervous when you're asked to commit a crime," I commented.

"That's not the point!" she yelled before talking to herself as if she was trying to calm down. "Anyway, while you _find your way through_ the security system," she emphasized specifically on those four words, "try to find out how my father died."

"But I thought the conclusion's been reached? It's even been posted all over the papers that your dad died of-"

She interrupted. "I know, but if the police aren't well-trained enough to investigate the crime scene, they probably weren't able to find the real cause behind my father's death too."

"Hey... um... Sam?" I placed my arm on her shoulder gently.

She turned around, glaring at the point of contact. Noticing her discomfort, and her deadly glare, I lifted my hand as quickly as I had placed it there.

"Sorry..." I apologised, continuing to my question. "I have something that I really want to ask you about."

"Shoot," she started packing the boxes on the floor.

"What... exactly... happened when your mother..." I trailed off, sure that she knew what she was talking about. I understood that pain that flashed across her eyes when she turned around to look at me.

She sighed.

"My mom was charged of drug trafficking," she started. "Well, we kind of expected that, judging by her intimacy wih her then-boyfriend, a gang leader."

"Your mom dated a gang leader?" I almost yelled in surprise. "I knew her preferences for males are bizarre, but I never knew she would be so..."

"Extreme?" she tried to complete my sentence. "She was extreme alright. And this time, her personal tastes has burnt her taste buds for good. One day, her boyfriend offered to bring her to Vegas, as usual. Before they passed the checkpoints, he gave her a gigantic soft toy and told her to get past the checkpoint on her own first while he goes to the toilet."

I processed her words carefully in my mind. "Wait, let me guess. Drugs were found in the seemingly harmless soft toy?"

She sighed. "Yup, and she got arrested on the spot."

"I'm sorry," I apologised, feeling bad for her.

"Why apologise, nub? It ain't your fault my mom's in a mess like this," Sam said. "If only I paid more attention to her."

"But she was set-up," I tried to comfort her. "No one could have prevented this from happening."

She sighed. "But what about the death penalty? I could have spoken up for her and she wouldn't have been hung on the noose! I hung her, I am a murderer!"

I held her arms in mine as I attempted to calm her down. "You're not a murderer, Sam. Listen to me! You couldn't have prevented this from happening; no one could. You're not the only one suffering from this pain, Melanie is hurting too. Do you have any idea how worried she was about you? She's lost her mother, her father, and now, she only has her new family and you. What makes you think that she's not afraid to lose you?"

I could see the light reflected through her glistening eyes. They were wet with remorse and I couldn't help myself but to wipe those tears away. There was just this soft silence that surrounded us, and the only sounds that were audible became our heartbeats.

Our faces were only inches apart. If only we could get closer... and closer... and... closer...

**A/N: Hey guys, thanks for your support! I would like to say that the results of the writing competition are out and I have won the best entry for the under-18 category. It was all thanks to your ratings! Thank you, Seddie Warriors! You guys rule! As a reward, I've decided to post two new chapters (one for this story and one for the other one) to thank you all for helping me. I love Seddie!**


	9. iHide

If only we could get closer... closer... closer...

"Ring... ring..." the default ringtone on the house phone ruined the moment and filled it with only an awkward atmosphere.

I headed over to the phone, blushing a deep scarlet as I thought of what could have happened if it never rang. "Hello?"

"Freddie!" mom yelled. "You forgot your antibacterial shampoo and toothpaste!"

_So that's what it was all about? _I sighed heavily. "I'll erm... collect it when I pass by Bushwell Plaza tomorrow, okay?"

"No! You need to get your daily shampoo," mom emphasized. "I'm already outside the door. Open up!"

"What?" I peeped through the blinds which had been pulled down to block out the glares of intrusion of the police officers outside our home. Indeed, mom was there, waving at me over-enthusiastically. I sighed for the second time since the phone call and opened the door reluctantly.

Sam did not seem interested in what was happening, but instead, continued with her packing.

"Here's your antibacterial shampoo..." she shoved items into my arms. "... and season four of Girly Cow."

"But mom..." I whined. "I thought you were only bringing the shampoo and toothpaste."

"You're moving out of our apartment and into a demon's den!" she exclaimed, which Sam reacted to with a death glare. "So, I thought you'll need some of your old stuff to keep you accompany while you're in a foreign environment."

_Foreign environment? _"I'll be fine, mom. Thanks."

A few hours later, mom finally left the apartment. She offered to help unpack our stuff and sanitize our rooms (I mean, what could I have expected?) which we declined, but she strongly insisted. After which, when we convinced her that we would be fine on our own, she left.

The sun had set about three hours ago. There was a tense silence which enveloped us. My heart was thumping as my mind returned to the previous scene when Sam and I almost... kissed...

"I'll be off to bed now," I hoped that she had put that incident to the back of her mind.

"Wait!" I expected her to say something about what happened just now, but she didn't. "Where will I sleep?"

"Err..." I sighed, half-relieved at the fact that she didn't bring up anything and half-troubled because I hadn't even thought of that question at all. "Let's see... I'm taking the bedroom... there's a guestroom but it's not fully furnished yet... and then, there's the couch..."

She eyed me suspiciously, before looking away immediately when I caught her gaze. She interrupted my train of thoughts. "I'll take the couch then."

Somehow, I didn't feel so good about her sleeping on the couch. I mean, if word gets out that I let a lady sleep on the couch, not that Sam was much of a lady, things could get ugly.

"Wait!" I stopped her as she headed over to the couch. Her head tipped toward me, but her eyes were fixed on the couch, as though she was trying to avoid my gaze. "I'll take the couch. You can... have the bedroom."

"You sure?" her eyes lifted from the cushions on the couch and landed on mine.

"Yeah," I replied, heading over to the couch and picking up the pillow from her hands, sending a soft smile towards her. "Good night."

Still hesitant, she walked up the stairs slowly, glancing back almost every second to check if I was kidding. But when she neared the top of the stairs and realised that I was serious, she turned away and never looked back.

Sam was silent, seeming to be in deep thinking.

"Sam?" I called, checking some stuff out. "Are you okay?"

"What?" I finally caught her attention as her gaze returned to her usual bored expression. "Oh, I was just thinking about something."

"You and Melanie went to check out the crime scene this morning, right?" I asked. "How was it? Did you find out anything?"

She frowned. "I was just thinking about it. Since the interns and trainees weren't informed about my case, they just let me in."

"What about Melanie?" I furrowed my eyebrows. "Did they let her in?"

"Nah," she replied, sighing. "I wish she did though, we could have been more efficient."

"So, anything abnormal that you found there?" I probed, furiously typing on my laptop and scrolling through the data that had been appearing in strings on the screen.

She walked over. "Are you even listening? What are you working on, anyway?"

"Remember I told you about how I was going to get past the security system?" I tried to jolt her memory of our conversation. "I got in."

Her eyes widened in excitement. "What did you find out?"

I opened up the files that I was able to download, giving an overview on my progress so far. "Apparently, an autopsy was performed on your father's corpse."

"Autopsy?" her eyebrow cocked up to the side.

"An autopsy is an examination that is performed on the corpse to discover the cause of death and-"

"I know what an autopsy is," she placed her arms on her hips, frowning. "I was just wondering why they needed one. It was already announced that my father died of an overdose of medicine, so why would they still need to perform an autopsy?"

I rubbed my chin with my fingers. "Well, this autopsy gives us a different report. This line here says that it is highly possible that Jeremy Puckett died of a prolonged cardiac arrest."

"Well, that's natural, since an overdose of drugs can cause cardiac arrest too," she stated.

"Not if the drug was only found concentrated in one area! If the drugs were absorbed into the body, there would be traces of the drug in the bloodstream. But the only place where the drugs were detected was the arm, which was the area where they were injected," I looked towards Sam, who had a look of enlightenment on her face. "That means..."

"He died before the drug was administered!" she snapped her fingers. "But if that was the case, why did the police announce that he died due to a drug overdose?"

I shrugged. "I'm not sure, but I think that someone might be trying to hide things for their own benefit... But who?"

"Well, there's only one person in the investigation department that would laugh in my misery..." her eyes narrowed to a thin slit. "... Missy Robinson!"


End file.
